


Masquerade

by Immaculatemoonlight



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-08 23:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5516936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immaculatemoonlight/pseuds/Immaculatemoonlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chat Noir is on to Ladybug's secret identity. He wants to know who the girl behind the mask is, and will do everything in his power to figure her out.<br/>Marinette has begun to finally talk to Adrien. He has begun to protect her in school and out of school. As her crush for him develops, she begins to fall for Chat Noir at the same time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Luck

The day had started out a beautiful one, a crystal clear sky shining above the citizens of Paris. The wind, however, began as a whispering in the air. The air seemed crisp and cool to Marinette as she made her way to school. She glanced up at the sky, quickening her pace as the clouds began to gather. She only had a little bit left to go, and the weather seemed so perfect when she left. She didn’t bring an umbrella, which was her first mistake. Her second mistake was that she was still staring up at the sky, and not ahead at the bustling Paris street.  
Marinette didn’t see it coming; there was no way she could’ve been prepared. She was falling fast, the air’s whispering turning into screaming. She didn’t have enough time to catch herself, only frown miserably as she landed in a puddle on the sidewalk. She scrambled up, glancing around. Nobody seemed to have noticed that she fell, which made her a bit disappointed. She was just glad that she had an extra pair of pants in her locker; as a klutz, she never knew when she would need to change. She just hoped that Chloe didn’t see her – or worse, Adrien!  
She walked faster, her heart racing by the time she was in front of the school. She would be fine if Alya saw her. Maybe some of her other classmates... But she couldn’t handle Chloe putting her down this morning, or let Adrien see her. If Adrien saw her, she would probably die of embarrassment...  
It was lucky enough that nobody saw her fall, but she didn't think that her luck would hold up for much longer. Especially since Adrien and Nino were standing outside of the building. Marinette sighed, trying to think of ways to avoid Adrien. He was right in front of the school... She was usually quick to find a solution, especially when she became her alter ego Ladybug, but when it came to Adrien her mind just... Blanked. She had no solutions. The only solution for her was to take a klutzy walk of shame right past him.  
Maybe he wouldn't notice her? It was an optimistic thought, but very unlikely. A few months ago, before she became class president and won his fathers hat contest, he wouldn't have so much as glanced her way. Now he said hi to her, and had tried to start conversations. Unfortunately, every time she tried to talk to him, she always stuttered or she couldn't talk at all.  
Marinette made her way up the school steps, watching Adrien and Nino out of the corner of her eye. They seemed deep in conversation and they probably wouldn't glance at her any time soon... She walked faster, almost running inside of the school. That was when the snickering began.  
"What happened, Marinette? Wearing dirty pants to school? Did you have an accident on the way to school?" Chloe's laughter turned into cackling. Adrien had to be staring by now.  
"No," she mumbled. "I slipped on the way here."  
"Right, of course you slipped." Chloe rolled her eyes.  
"Excuse me," Marinette sighed. "I need to go change..."  
"I don't think there are any pants in the garbage, but knock yourself out." Chloe cackled, stepping out of her way. Marinette resumed her rush into the school, not noticing Chloe's foot in front of her. She tripped for the second time this morning, barely throwing her hands out in front of her.  
"Oh my god, Marinette! These shoes were so expensive! I can't believe you just ruined them!" Chloe whined.  
"Marinette, are you okay?" Adrien asked, sounding a bit aggravated.  
"I'm fine," she stood up. "Just fine. I'm sorry about your shoes Chloe..." She looked down. Chloe's shoes looked perfectly fine...  
"Don't talk to her, Adrien," Chloe rolled her eyes. "She just ruined my favorite pair of shoes."  
"Chlo, your shoes are fine," Adrien snapped, stepping over to Marinette. "Let me walk you inside."  
Marinette nodded, biting her lip. She just knew that something would go wrong today. She knew it would turn out like this. Beautiful days always seemed to have this kind of an impact on her.  
Marinette and Adrien walked side by side, something they had done only a few times before as Marinette and Adrien. They didn't talk, mostly due to the negative energy surrounding them. Marinette assumed his morning hadn't been so great, so she didn't push it. When they reached her locker, she twisted the lock until it opened. She grabbed her spare pair of pants, and turned to Adrien.  
"U-um... T-thank you for walking with me... I should... Go change..." God she was so awkward around him...  
Adrien nodded. "I'm sorry about what Chloe did... That wasn't right..."  
She shrugged, glancing at him. "It's fine. Knowing me I'd probably trip regardless of her foot being there..."  
Adrien gave her a small smile. "Do you want me to wait for you while you change?"  
"N-no it's fine. I'll just see you in class."  
He nodded. "Alright."  
"Um... A-Adrien? Are you alright?"  
"What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow.  
"Just... You seem so upset... Is there anything bothering you?"  
"No, Mari, I'm fine. I just hate seeing someone get pushed around so often..."  
Mari. He nicknamed her! She blushed, glancing at him again. "It's fine. I'm used to this..."  
"You shouldn't be," Adrien shook his head. "Look, we don't have long before class starts and you shouldn't be late. I'll see you in a bit."  
~*~*~*~  
Adrien walked to class, thinking about Marinette. Ever since his lady had asked him to protect her, he had a sort of soft spot for her. She was really sweet and cheerful around Chat Noir and everyone else in their class, but never around him. He couldn't help but think that it was because he never really tried to be friends with her. And maybe that was true. But she was always so awkward and distant around him... And today, when Chloe tripped her... That was it for him.  
Marinette was too nice to be treated like that on a daily basis. She was nice, smart, and funny... She didn't deserve this constant abuse from Chloe. He always tolerated it because his father demanded that it was important for him to make business connections. But that was before Chloe became infatuated with him. Now everyone who even looked at him became Chloe's victims. He was done with it.


	2. Turn Around

"Dang girl, you have not had a good day." Alya shook her head, taking a bite out of her sandwich. Marinette knew she would be good moral support after the day she'd had. Alya was especially enthusiastic about Adrien, but Marinette wasn't so sure how she felt. On one hand, it was really sweet of him... But on the other hand, he seemed really upset. She sighed, glancing at her phone. She had his number. It would be so easy for her to send him a message...  
"Should I... I don't know, send him a text to thank him?" Marinette bit her lip. "I don't think I should. I mean... What if we start talking, and then in person we talk more? I mean, of course I want to talk to him, but today is not a good day for me to start talking to Adrien..." She rambled, earning an eye roll from Alya.  
"Mar, trust me. You either text him right now, or you never will. You've had his number for so long!" She gave Marinette a supportive smile, before returning to her lunch.   
Marinette didn't eat lunch that day. She already felt sick. Especially after dealing which Chloe all morning. It didn't get better when she went to lunch. In fact, it didn't get better at all. Chloe backed down only when Adrien told her to, or when Alya went into protective best friend mode. She couldn't help but think that if Chloe knew that she was Ladybug, she would either hate her more (along with Ladybug) or she would stop hating her altogether. Marinette couldn't reveal her identity to anyone. She had trouble thinking about revealing herself to Chat, who was her best friend and partner in crime fighting.  
Marinette sighed, gingerly picking her phone up. She unlocked it, and went into her contacts. Adrien... Should she really text him? She sighed, pressing on the message icon.  
'Hi, Adrien, it's Marinette. I just wanted to thank you for defending me all day...'  
She hit send, her heart pounding. She turned to Alya.  
"There," she pursed her lips. "I did it. I messaged him."  
"Good," Alya grinned. "I'm proud of you!"  
Marinette shrugged, glancing at her phone. He hadn't messaged her back yet, but of course he hadn't. She had just sent the message, and there was no use in overthinking everything when... When her phone buzzed.  
When Adrien Agreste replied to her message.  
She turned to Alya, eyes wide. "He replied to me..." She squeaked.  
Alya giggled. "Oh girl, read what he said! You can fill me in later. And remind me to thank your mom for the sandwich." Marinette laughed, and grabbed her phone.  
'No problemo, Mari. Are you feeling any better?'  
She smiled. This is why she liked Adrien. He was sweet, and caring, and wonderful. She more than liked him. He was perfect for her, even if she could barely talk to him or be around him. The feelings were still there; honestly, she was surprised he hasn't figured out that she had a crush on him. Or if he did, he showed no indication of knowing.   
'I'm feeling a bit better; it's been a stressful day.'  
She locked her phone and turned to Alya. "Adrien is so sweet," she said dreamily, resting her head on her hands.  
~*~*~*~  
The akuma attacked at night. Chat Noir was out patrolling the city when it happened. It was usually at night when he was out and about, when he couldn't sleep or when he was having a bad night. Tonight was a night where he couldn't sleep. As Adrien, he had constant thoughts of Marinette and Ladybug. Two girls so similar and yet so different. Whenever he tried to sleep, guilt overwhelmed him. His lady was perfect for him, and he wanted to steal her heart. He wanted to know who she really was... But would he like who she was under the mask? And sweet Marinette... He liked her, he did, he just couldn't see himself with her... Mostly because of his lady.   
These thoughts ran through his head all day and all night, like they had for two months now. Ladybug seemed to notice that he was off, because she commented on it a lot. But he was the same. He was always the same. He was just so damn tired of fighting for Ladybug when she constantly told him that they would only ever be friends. And he loved being friends with her, of course he did, but he wanted so much more. She was all he had. She made the dreams stop. She made him feel loved, something which was hard to do. With his father being the way he was and his house not exactly a home, it was hard for him to feel loved. Ladybug came into his life and treated him like an equal. He didn't care that she didn't know his real identity, and neither did she.  
Chat stood perched on a building, looking out at the city. An overwhelming feeling that something bad was going to happen crept over him, so he scanned the streets for any suspicious activity. There wasn't any. It was late, and barely anyone was out. He sighed, sitting down. The feeling didn't go away, his tension growing. This was the worst part, waiting for the fight.  
It was then that the akuma attacked. It happened below him, rattling the entire building. He leapt off the building, landing on the ground in a crouch. He scanned the ally when he saw him. It was a civilian. He must've been in his early twenties; he looked to old, even in his akuma form, to be a teenager. Chat smiled. This was exactly what he needed.  
Chat leapt at him, claws extended.


	3. Not Chloe's Boyfriend

The first thing Marinette noticed was that Adrien looked exhausted. She was pretty tired, but then again she was always tired on weekdays. Adrien looked like it had been a long time since he had slept, which made her frown. He was sitting alone on the steps in front of their school, eyes closed, and his head resting on his hands. She didn't want to disturb him. Oh god, that was the last thing she wanted to do. But he just seemed so... Not okay. He didn't seem okay at all. He seemed tired and hurt and... And she couldn't tell what else. Marinette bit her lip, and strode to him. She mustered up as much confidence as she could as she approached him. She stood in front of him for a minute, before sitting down next to him.

"I'm not really in the mood to talk to anyone, Mari," Adrien grumbled, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm not here to talk to you. You looked upset and tired, so I thought I would keep you company..." She hesitated. "Nobody should be alone... If you want me to go, I could."

His eyes widened, and he turned to look at her. "Don't go."

She nodded, looking across the street at the city. She tried to think of anything but the boy next to her. She tried to think of being Ladybug and Hawkmoth... Anything but Adrien. If Ladybug couldn't be swayed by boys, why could she? She was pulled from her thoughts when Adrien laid his head on her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, heart racing.

"Adrien...? What're you doing?" Marinette asked softly, staying as still as possible.

"I'm tired," he mumbled. "Can I stay like this? Just for a minute?"

"U-um..." She hesitated. "Sure. But until class starts." He mumbled something that she couldn't quite make sense of. She looked at him for a second, before looking back at the city.

"Marinette?" Marinette was pulled from her thoughts once again. Alya sat down besides her. "Marinette, that's Adrien sleeping on your shoulder..."

"Yeah," she nodded once, trying to avoid moving Adrien.

"Oh, girl, what in the world happened?" Alya grinned. "You? And Adrien?"

"I don't know. I just sat down, and then he fell asleep."

"On your shoulder?!" The girl giggled. "Better hope Chloe doesn't see you."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "I can't avoid her. She'll be here soon, and then she'll be the one that Adrien is sleeping on."

"Oh, Mari..." Alya shook her head. "I won't let that happen."

"What's your plan?" She looked at her, eyes wide.

"I don't necessary have one yet, but I think I have a few minutes to think one up." The girl grinned.

"No, Alya. You don't. Chloe's limo is pulling up right now."

"Oh my god," Alya's grin fell from her face. "Oh my god get ready for super angry and jealous Chloe."

Marinette groaned, watching Chloe throw the limo door open and leap out of the car. She stomped towards them, anger contorting her face. As she approached, she crossed her arms and assessed the situation.

"Maritrash, what're you doing with my boyfriend?" Chloe growled.

"Your boyfriend?" Alya laughed. "I don't think so."

"He's tired and he fell asleep on my shoulder. I'm being a good friend and helping him get some rest," Marinette protested. "And my name is Marinette, not Maritrash."

"I don't really care about your name. I can call you whatever the hell I want to call you. You're lucky I'm feeling super nice today, otherwise I would slap your face off in front of everyone. So here's some advice, bitch," Chloe smirked. "Trade me spots and I won't hurt you."  
~*~*~*~  
Adrien hated liars. He also hated bullies. He only put up with Chloe because his father had made him, and he had known her for quite a long time... but calling Marinette a bitch and changing her name like that? It had gone too far. Adrien was only have asleep, trying to regain energy. He was listening the entire time, and now he was furious. He gently pulled his head off of Marinette's shoulder, and opened his eyes. He blinked a few times to get used to the light, before looking around. He turned to Chloe, feigning confusion.

"What's going on, Chlo?"

Chloe looked relieved for a brief second, before she put on an almost convincing miserable face. "Oh, Adrien... They were being so mean to me..." She sniffled.

He glanced at Marinette and Alya. "I'm sorry Chlo..."

Chloe sniffed again. "Come with me. You can take a longer nap."

"No, I'm sorry but I can't do that."

She stiffened. She wasn't used to rejection. "What? Why not?"

"Because you're a liar. You lie, you manipulate, you're insensitive... I don't know about you anymore. And I'm not your boyfriend. I never have been. You need to stop telling people that I am."

"B-but Adrien..." Chloe frowned. "I'll... I'll tell my father about this. He's the mayor, you know..."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "He's the mayor and you'll have him make sure that this will happen or that will happen. Blah blah blah. I've heard it all before, Chloe. You need to stop threatening people, or you'll never have friends."

"Whatever," Chloe spun on her heel, but not before giving Marinette one last dirty look. She stomped off, probably to make Sabrina's day a bit worse.

Adrien turned to Marinette, frowning. "I'm so sorry about her. God, she's so pretentious. It's just... She's a lot like you. You like the same music, have some of the same hobbies... But people like you more, and she doesn't think you're very nice to her..."

Marinette looked away from him. "I didn't know she felt like that..."

"You'd be surprised at how sensitive Chloe really is."

~*~*~*~

Adrien was glad that he didn't have to model after school. He had his own plans; to go see Marinette, to see her blush and her smile... He had offered her a ride home, but she turned him down. He didn't mind though. He would meet with her at her bakery, surprise her with flowers or something... He didn't quite know yet. All he knew was that he wanted to see her, and to make her day better. Chloe had been especially harsh after that morning, but Adrien made sure that he was by Marinette's side all day. Something inside of him was drawn to her. He hadn't noticed it before; she had always been the girl who sat behind him... the girl who had a huge crush on him. He hadn't really seen it before, but now... Now he noticed everything about her.

Something about her was too familiar... It might be those crystal blue eyes, seemingly shy. He had seen eyes exactly like that before, but much more confident and knowing. The eyes of his best friend... the eyes of his lady. Could it be that his lady and shy Marinette are the same person? Could it have been her sitting right behind him this entire time? His heart raced as his limo turned onto the street that Marinette's bakery was located on. How would he approach her? How would he figure out if she really was his Ladybug? Could he reveal his secret to her? Or could he meet her as Chat Noir and figure her out?

He knew for sure that the first thing he had to do was befriend her as Adrien... but that night, Chat would come out to play.


	4. Chapter 4

Adrien had never been inside of the bakery. He had only ordered from here once or twice, and either Natalie picked it up or it was delivered. He couldn't contain his excitement; he loved when he had a chance to do the things that he wanted to do, especially when it came to food. He stood outside of the large wooden door, trying to fathom what the inside could possibly look like. Would Marinette be down in the bakery? Or would she be upstairs? Would he have to meet her parents and explain to them the reason that he was there? How was this going to work?

He pushed the door open, admiring the sound that the bell made. He walked inside of the bakery, the smell overwhelming him. His sneakers squeaked on the floor, but he didn't mind. This place was magical… This place was amazing. He had wondered what it was like to feel so at home for so long… and now he was in a place that was just so homey and nice… Marinette was so lucky. She had everything he wanted. She had everything he needed. He wasn't jealous at all; he was happy for her. He had come to terms with his home life and his father. It was fine for him, but it made him feel so happy because someone so great had a loving family.

"I'll be right with you!" A voice called from a back room. Adrien didn't mind waiting. He was just enjoying this new experience. He probably looked pretty dumb, standing in the middle of a bakery with a big, goofy grin on his face. The best part of it all? Adrien didn't care! For the first time in a long time, he didn't care about his appearance, or about how he appeared to other people, or if he was liked. In that moment, the only thing that troubled him was that he didn't have anyone to share it with.

Until a great pair of legs and a giant stack of boxes came waltzing – or stumbling – into the room. Adrien stared for a moment, before he regained some composure. Adjusting his shirt, he took a step forward.

"Here, let me help you," he said, grabbing a few boxes.

"Thanks. Just put them on that counter over there."

Adrien did as he was told, watching the girl set her stack of boxes down next to his. She turned around, a big smile on his face. The smile was replaced by a look of shock, and then a look of horror as she realized who he was. Adrien's sense of home was ripped from him as he realized that he didn't belong. He stared down at his shoes, before looking back up at the tiny girl in front of him. He smiled widely; he was a great actor.

"Hey Mari!" He said, voice as charming as ever.

"A-Adrien! W-what're you d-doing here?" She stuttered, stepping away from him. And there it was. The distance between them widening. She would never like him. They could never be friends. She was so disgusted by him. Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat,

"I just came by to say hi, and to…" he paused. Why was he here? "To see you."

"M-me?" Her eyes widened. "Oh. Why?"

"Because I wanted to… get you to recommend something to me. Like… from your bakery… I'm… trying to figure out what I like, so I can have my dad order it for my next fashion thing…" So much for confident Adrien swooping in and getting the girl. If she reacted to him like this, he wondered how she would react to Chat Noir sneaking onto her rooftop terrace…

"Oh! I see! Well, what kind of sweets do you like? Cakes? Cookies? What flavors do you like? We make really good sweets too, if you're into things like that. And different types of bread. I don't know, I'd recommend everything. Everything is really good… it really just depends on you."

Adrien nodded, looking around. "I guess just give me some of those, and those…" He pointed to random items. He didn't know what he was getting, he just wanted to get out of there. It was a mistake coming to see her.

She nodded. "Um, your total is-"

"Here," he handed her the card his father gave him.

She swiped the card, blushing slightly. "Okay. Here's your treats. I hope you enjoy them…" she smiled.

Adrien smiled back. "I… I'll see you in class, Marinette." It had been a while since he had called her Marinette. He usually shortened her name in an effort to see if she felt anything for him. Did her heart call out to him like his did for her? Did she know who he really was? Because he knew that this was his Lady. His ladybug. There was no denying it.

"O-okay, Adrien." She didn't look at him, just fiddled with something behind the counter.

Marinette blew it. She knew she did the tiny fraction of a second that Adrien looked hurt. But there was no going back from that. It was best that she loved him from afar. It was best that they didn't become friends… or more. Especially since she was Ladybug. She'd be better off dating Chat Noir as Ladybug. Adrien Agreste was unreachable, and that was something she needed to remember. He didn't come here to see her, he came to get her recommendation.

She tried to fight the urge to run after him, she really did… but her legs moved before her head. She was running after him before she realized it. She had to save whatever this was between them. She had to save this friendship.

"Adrien!" She called out, squinting in the sunlight. He turned to look at her, a troubled expression on his face.

"Mari?" He asked, confused. He began walking back towards her.

"Come back inside," she hesitated. "There's something we should talk about."

He nodded, following her back into the bakery. Once the door was shut, he cocked an eyebrow.

"Look, Adrien… I want to be friends with you. I really, really do… but I just… it's hard because everyone likes you. And they make it difficult to get to know you and be around you. I either hear things about you, or Chloe does things… and I really, really want to be friends with you…"

"I get it," he muttered, a saddened expression on his face. "Chloe makes it like that with everyone. I like you, Marinette, but being friends with me comes with a cost that you shouldn't have to pay. You're too nice to have to deal with Chloe or with anything that comes with being friends with me. I mean, if you want… we don't have to be friends in public. We can text, or hangout when people aren't around…"

"Let's just start by texting sometimes, Adrien…" Oh god, what was she doing. She blew it again. Here was her chance to say 'hey Adrien, I kind of really like you a lot and we should be more than friends'.

"Texting. That's fine."

***

Chat Noir was supposed to be patrolling. His Lady had told him that that was what she needed him to do that night… but he couldn't get those glorious blue eyes out of his head, and the softness of her voice when she told him how hard it would be for them to be friends. It crushed him; this girl that he tried so hard to be friends with basically rejected him. He jumped down from the rooftop, and swung himself onto the terrace. This terrace led to Marinette's bedroom. He landed with a thud, and leaned against the railing. Now he would wait.

Marinette rushed out onto the balcony, eyes wide and carrying a… stick. Was she going to use that to defend herself? Chat let out a chuckle. Marinette relaxed a bit when she saw him, letting the stick fall to the ground. It was for the best; he wasn't too sure how well she could protect herself against anyone malevolent with a stick.

"Silly kitty, you gave me a heart attack," she frowned, placing her hand on her hip. This is the Ladybug he knew.

"How pawful!" He chuckled. "I'm sorry, princess."

"What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be patrolling?" She paused. "Or something…?"

Nice save, Ladybug. "I'm patrolling, but I thought I'd stop by and have a… Chat."

She rolled her eyes. "Chat Noir, your jokes are just too much."

"Hey, my puns are carefully thought out and executed with pawfect timing."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Why are you here, exactly?"

"My princess, I couldn't stop thinking about you." Chat smirked.

"Why?" Her eyes widened, a large blush spreading across her face.

"Because you seem to understand me… I mean… I'm in love with Ladybug, and she'll never see me for who I truly am… I sense that you feel that way about someone too…" He was hopeful. Maybe he would be right…

Her face fell. "I messed up with him. I just… I wish that I could tell him how I feel… but every time I talk to him I just seem to mess everything up…"

"Maybe he likes you back, and you don't know because you haven't told him?" Chat suggested, sauntering over to her. "It's better than openly knowing that the person you love has feelings for someone else, and you have to hear about how great they are day after day. It's better than being their best friend and knowing that that's all you'll ever be to that person. You have a chance, Marinette. You haven't messed anything up. You just need to take your chance…"

"How can I take my chance when I can barely talk to the guy? He's so cool, and nice… I just… I've liked him all year, and he only notices me because we have mutual friends and I don't know… He's so great, but I hurt his feelings today. I didn't mean to… it just happened." She vented. "He's never going to see me the way that I want him to see me. I'm always going to just be shy, awkward Marinette."

"That's not all that you are. You're so much more than that, Marinette. You're a great girl. You're beautiful, smart… Anybody would be lucky to be with you. Whoever this guy is… doesn't know what he's missing out on."

"And Ladybug obviously doesn't know who she's missing out on…" She said, eyebrows furrowing slightly. She does a good job of hiding the fact that she's Ladybug…

"Can I come visit you tomorrow? I have something for you… and I should get back to patrolling so that Ladybug won't be upset with me."

"Sure," she nodded, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight, princess…" He reached for her hand and squeezed it.


End file.
